Railroad-switch



T BREEN. RAILROAD SWITGH.

4 Sheets-Sheet L (No Model.)

N No. 276,762. Patented May 1,1883.

H M I ode 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

, T. BREBN.

' RAILROAD SWITCH.

Patented Ma. 1,1883.

No. 276,762. v

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(No Model.)

- S T.. BREEN,

RAILROAD SWITCH. No. 276,762.

WITNESSES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Patented Mag .1, 1883.

INVESTOR. MZMM AT ORNE 8.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. I

TQBR BN. RAILROAD SWITCH.

Nd. 276,762. lsatented Ma l, 1883.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS BREEN, OF KNOVVLTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,762, dated May 1, 1883.

Application filed April 22, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, THOMAS BREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Knowlton,'in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania,.haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a plan view of my improved railway-switch. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the shiftingrails and their supportingplate removed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation with one side of the case having the operating-lever re- Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line an m of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line a z of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line y y of Fig. 1, and Fig. 7 isa detailed section of the switch-operating lever. Fig. 8

is a detailed view of a rail-section not shown in Fig. 1, with its pivotal andswitching pins shown depending therefrom.

This invention has relation to improvements in railway-switches, having for its object,

chiefly, to effect the operation of the switch by the action of the wheels of the passing train or engine, and the lesseningof the length of the rail-sections of the switch; and it consists of thecombination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In carrying out my invention I employ a long lever, A, made preferably of a flat metal bar, pivoted at its center in a longitudinal recess in a. base or casting, a, resting upon the bed of the road. The inner end of the lever or bar A has attached to it a spring, 1), connected to a stud fastened to the base or casting a, which serves to throw the outer or opposite end of the lever outward when operated on, as presently more fully explained. This lever is connected near its inner end, on one side, by a rod, 0, to a stud or pin, 0. The pin 0 slides or moves in a slot, 0 and is connected to the rail-section B of the switch. A second strong spring, (1, coiled around a stud secured in the base and connected by a short rod, d, to same side of the lever A, at a point near its fulcrum on the other end,aids to throw the outer end of the lever outward. The lever A has its outer end,connected to the rail-section B, ar-

ranged to move on a pivot, as does also the formed by rods and pins sliding in slots in the base and connected to said sections of rail.

Said slots are lettered respectivelyff'f g g g and h h 71?. Each of these rail-sections is arranged to move upon a pivot.

G is a pawl or lever pivoted at one end in the base a, and connected atits other end to a spring, '5, fastened in a suitable manner to the base. ver A, and has two teeth, 1" 6 near its outer end, and a recess or bend, i at a point opposite the tooth m of the dog D. The normal action of the spring 1' upon the lever or pawl It is arranged at right angles to the lel is to hold either one of its teeth i i into a notch, t in the forward end of the bar or lever A, as seen particularly in Figs. 1 and 2.

D is adog having one end connected or airticulated to the outer end of the lever or bar A, and its other end provided with apin or stud, j, adapted to be struck oroperated on by a pin,j, on an upright shaft, E, inclosell by casej and having a hand wheel or lever, It. This arrangement permits theoperation of the switch, which is set for a continuous main line, to be operated by hand to shift the switclrrails in line to register with the track-rails of the siding.

By the use of a pawl, l, pivoted to the dog D, and having one end capable of engaging with a notch, U, in pawl O, and its other end provided with a pin, 6, disposed so as to be acted on by the pinj of the hand-shaft E, the switch can be moved by the hand-shaft to shift the rail-sections back to a position to register with the main line, after having been set for the siding, the shaft being turned in an opposite direction to that above described. The shaft E bears at its lower end in the base a. As movement is imparted to the shaft E the pawl Z is forced outward and into the notch Z ICO of the lever or pawl O, carrying with it the dog D, whose tooth on rides against pawl O and forces the said pawl outward until its tooth is moved out from the inner end of lever A. Instantly with this movement of'the tooth i out of the notch of the lever A the springs b at will, with a third spring, a, throw the said end of lever A outward and permit the tooth t of the pawl O to catch therein, acted on by the spring t'.

Arranged on a line parallel with the track, and a short distance therefrom, is a case or box, 0, the upper part or cover of which consists of a lever, F, which is retained in position by the springs 1" upon the vertical rods, which have their hearings upon perforated brackets, which also serve as guides for the rods. The lever F is actuated by an adjustable wheel, thrust out at the pleasure of the engineer from the side ofthe locomotive, and when this lever F is forced down it operates the switch to which it is connected and forces it to register with the rails of the main track in a manner opposite to the right-hand movement of the lever F when under action of the car or engine of the train. Within the case 0 is pivoted a bell-crank, F, (see Fig. 7,) one arm of which is acted on by the lever F, while its other arm is connected, preferably by a book,

0 p, and chains 1) p attached to said hook and passed through a common tube, 19 to the dog D and a bell-crank lever, q, connected to the leverA bya rod,q. The aforesaid movement of the lever F, when under the action of the adjustable wheel, will have the same effect upon the lever and its actuating mechanism as the turning to the left of the hand-shaft E- viz.,to shift the switch-railsectionsinline with the side-track rails. Springs 1" r are applied to lift or return the lever F to its elevated or origin-a1 position. They are applied preferably as shown in Fig. 6.

To the pawl G, at a point about opposite its teeth z" W, is connected a rod, .9, by preference, in turn connected to a chain or rope, 8, passed over a pulley suitably located. This chain is attached at its other end to one arm of a bellcrank, 8 to the other arm of which is connected a chain or rope, 3 which extends, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, a suitable distance off from the at'oresaid'switch mechanism to, and is designed to be connected to,a1ever 0r bell-crank lever, F It is intended to be arranged alongside one of the main-track rails, about opposite the rear end of the lever F, to permitit to be operated on by the wheel of the engine or car of the train atthe same time of the operation of the said lever, to render certain and positive the operation of the lever or pawl O, which allows the lever, by the action of its springs, to switch the rail-sections in line with the rails of the main track.

It will be noticed that each of the several switch-rail sections has movement or is shifted, by which rail-sections greatly reduced in length can be used, thereby effecting a saving in the distance over which they would have to be moved, time and expense in their construction, and effort and difficulty in operating the same. 1

1 claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In arailway-switch, thecombination, with the rail-sections, of the centrally-pivoted lever, its actuating-springs, and the holding toothed pawl engaging with its notched end, substantially as described. 1

2. In a railway-switch, the combination, with the several rail-sections, of the spring-lever connected by rods attached to pins or studs moving in slots and connected to the rail-sections, and the toothed pawl engaging with the notched end of the spring-lever, adapted to be operated by the action of the passing train or its wheels, substantially as set forth.

3. Inarailway-switoh,the combination,with the several switch-rail sections, of the notched spring-lever, the rods connecting it to sliding pins or studs connected to the rail-sections, the toothed pawl and its spring, the dog pivoted to the lever A and having its tooth capable of bearing and acting upon the toothed pawl, the pawl pivoted upon the dog and adapted to engage with a notch in the springpawl, and mechanism to permit the operation of the several parts, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof Iatlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS BREEN.

Witnesses:

GEO. R. HERRICK, THOMAS W. FOWLER. 

